Xae's Tale
by KatyaPryde
Summary: A glimpse into the life of a young Jedihopeful during the New Rebublic Era. AN: This is the result of an online RPG and only deals with those that come into contact with my character, but it still makes for an interesting story. Please R&R.
1. Prelude

Xae's Tale

Disclaimer: First off, this is a work of fan-fiction in that it is set in the Star Wars Universe, and occasional cannon characters may or may not pop up. Kyp Durron is a book character and I claim not rights to owning or creating him. The only character that is mine (unless otherwise stated) is Xae-Lin Ardel.

Second, this tale is a compellation of posts in an on-line RPG to which I contribute. ( the only claim I have to the creativity are the voices, ideas, and actions of my own personal character, Xae-Lin Ardel. I wish to thank the people that I am fortunate enough to interact with via this medium. Many of them are excellent writers, and without them Xae's Tale would likely be boring.

Now that all that technical butt-covering is taken care of, please enjoy the exploits of Xae and her adventures.

Sakami

Intro:

A steadily beeping alarm woke Kyp Durron from his sleep. The **Redemption** was approaching the pre-set Coordinates that Kyp had received from the Hypercomm Beacon. Kyp rose and donned his Jedi tunic, pants, and boots, finally putting on his weapon belt. Grabbing his lightsaber from its stand on the armoire by his bed, he rushed out of his quarters, clipping the lightsaber to his belt as he walked briskly to the cockpit. He paused for a moment as he sat down, admiring the ever-familiar blue-white swirl of hyperspace. _I still remember seeing it for the first time after Han rescued me from Kessel... how it inspired me with awe. Now, it is still a comfortable sight to behold, even after all I've been through. I just hope I'm not too late... _

He reached for the Hyperdrive Actuator Lever, de-activating the Hyperdrive and simultaneously kicking in the sublight engines. The blue-white swirl of Hyperspace resolved itself into star-lines, which then rendered into the millions of pinpricks of light as the star-field came into sharp focus. The watery planet of Manaan loomed in the distance, dwarfing the Lambda-class Shuttle. _So this is the new home of the Jedi..._ He reached for the comm unit, opening a pre-set channel.

"This is Jedi Knight Kyp Durron... I felt a great disturbance in the force, and have returned from my travels in the Unknown Regions to aid the Jedi... I request permission to land and to speak with the head of the Jedi Order. I will remain here in orbit until you respond. Kyp Durron, out."

Kyp ended the transmission, and left the comm channel set to passive scan. He sat back in the pilot's chair, his hands resting on his chest, fingers interlocked as if in deep thought. A slender figure caught his peripheral vision. Xae-Lin Ardel, the force-sensitive girl he had rescued from Dathomir, entered the cockpit gracefully and without a sound.

"Dammit Xae! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me when I'm deep in thought?" said Kyp

She replied coldly, "You're the one who didn't wake me when we left Hyperspace, like I asked you to. Besides... it keeps you on your toes, and you're the one who's always telling me that a Jedi needs to remain aware of their surroundings at all times."

Kyp sighed... "All right, fair enough."

She eyed the comm and asked, "So, have the illustrious Jedi answered you yet? I still don't see why we have to go out of our way to this backwater planet. It's not like you owe them any favors." 

Shaking his head, Kyp responded, "A Jedi goes where he is needed, Xae... It's not a matter of favors being owed, it is a responsibility. But to answer your question, no. No response yet, so we wait..."

Xae-Lin laughed as she took a seat next to Kyp.

It had been nearly five years since she'd first met him while she was in the process of running away, yet again, from the Nightsisters. She'd spent fourteen years among them, and had finally gotten up the courage to run away again. Big mistake. As soon as the Sisters were aware of her absence, the sky broke loose with Hell's Fury. She'd run into the Jedi Knight almost by accident.

Her thoughts were broken as the com link beeped back with the clearance to land.

"Look's as though I'll actually get to meet some other Jedi than just you, and hopefully learn more than just new ways to meditate...It's about time!" She said. After spending five years training with the Jedi Knight, she was more than ready to learn something other than the meditation exercises that he kept her practicing as well as developing her animal rapport training that she'd been trained in as a young girl living among the rancor-riding Nightsisters.

Kyp piloted the Shuttle into an approach vector, and gently descended through the blue-gray cloud canopy

"Meditation practices are good for you...," said Kyp."They help you keep that temper in check... you know anger leads to the Dark Side... yes, it will do you good to meet some more Jedi... I just hope there are enough of us left.

The **Redemption** swooped in, low on the horizon... as the shuttle came to the Eternal Vigilance, its wings folded up and the shuttle floated down on its repulsors, landing in the larger craft's Shuttle bay.

"Come now; let's go introduce ourselves to the Jedi in that common area over there" 

The young woman shrugged as she grabbed her belt the held her long knife and blaster then followed Kyp out of the ship, "Whatever you say Kyp." 

The landing ramp extended from the shuttle with a hiss of steam, and Kyp Durron strode forth, his long black and purple Jedi Cloak swishing elegantly behind him. He looked different now, with his bald head and reddish-brown beard. As he walked, the Jedi cloak parted a bit, showing the Lightsaber swaying back and forth gently from his belt with each stride. As he approached the small group of Jedi in the common area, he stopped short, quietly listening as to not interrupt their conversation.

BC moved through the corridors quickly. His robes flapped behind him, the Leader of the Jedi was moving to greet the newly arrived Kyp Durron. As he approached, the large wookie bowed his head. His hair moved with his face. As he moved it away from his eyes, he extended his hand.

"It is great to have you back old friend. Come in there is much to discuss."

Kyp took the pan-sized paw that the wookie extended in greeting 

She smiled at the wookie that came to greet them as she stood behind and to the left of the Jedi Knight, her light blue eyes taking in her surroundings. She did remember her manners and gave a slight bow in greeting to the other Jedi and she had the good graces to keep her tongue quiet until she was addressed. She did her best not to stare at the tall hairy being, she'd never met a wookie before and to be honest...it was quite a shock. While the two Jedi greeted each other, she absently fiddled with the clay necklace that she always wore around her neck.

"It's good to see you again, my old friend!" said Kyp, as he drew the wookie close for a friendly hug. Kyp gestured to the young woman standing beside him. "This is Xae-Lin Ardel, my student."

Xae-Lin bowed deeply, still somewhat wary of the wookie. "Nice to meet you." Her gaze flicked to Kyp, she was almost wondering if this meant their parting. From what she understood, Jedi Knights and Masters were often assigned their students, or Padawans as the term went. At least that's what she'd been lead to believe, hence her caution with the wookie Jedi. That and she'd never met one before.

"The Jedi are training hard, I will begin assigning missions soon. I am awaiting a full recovery from the last attack. The Imperials have become ruthless; they ally with eve stronger factions such as the Black un and Hutts to inflict even more damage. It is becoming increasingly hard to stand off such large-scale fleets and ground troops. The rebels are available, but do not have the manpower to use their vast armada and resources. I have even tried infusing the Jedi with the Rebels, but it does not last long."

Xae-Lin watched as the two Jedi made their way back to the Council Chambers

"Come if any of the Council members are still in the Chambers you can re-introduce yourself. It has been quite awhile." The wookie invited.

"You can come along, Xae... I need to address some business with the council which concerns you anyway."

Xae swallowed nervously and followed Kyp. She could feel the flight bugs take wing in the pit of her stomach. Concentrating in her mind using one of the techniques that Kyp had taught her during her journey with him, she sought to quell her jitters.

As Kyp Durron stood before what was left of the Jedi Council, he felt a pang of guilt for his abandonment of the Jedi Order in the past few years – his retreat to Dathomir, and then the Unknown Regions, had only worsened the pain he felt deep within his being. The loss of a Student to the Dark Side can be very traumatic, along with the death of his daughter. the guilt had been too much to bear. As he stood here in quiet reflection, he realized that his place had been here all along, with the Jedi. _All things happen for a reason, _Master Luke had once said. _The Jedi aren't exempt from tragedy, but it is how we deal with that tragedy that makes us Jedi. Remember Kyp, no matter what happens in life, you always have to go forward with it. There is no going back._

As Kyp thought about that, he finally found the confidence to ask the Council the question he came to ask.

"Masters of the Jedi Order, Council of the Force... I come before you to request the recognition from the Council that I take Xae-Lin Ardel as my Student in the Jedi ways. I have been teaching her basics such as meditation since I rescued her on Dathomir 5 years ago, but she wishes to learn more. I've been reluctant to teach anyone since... the tragedy with my former student. But I feel that I am ready once again to pass on the knowledge of the Force."  
Xae sensed the presence of someone behind her as she hung back as Kyp addressed the council. She turned to see Hale Akturus behind her and stepped aside respectfully, understanding that he must either have a lot of guts, or be someone of merit as he'd just come to the council chamber unannounced.

Because of her travels with Kyp in the Unknown Regions, she hadn't met many of the races that were represented on Mannan. It was because of this unfamiliarity, that she did her best to learn what she could through quiet observation, something that she'd learned both from Kyp and from the Nightsisters. She looked at each council member in turn, trying to gauge what information she could by the Jedi's appearance and posture, with the occasional glace to the man beside her. 

The auburn-haired young woman knew that something had happened with Kyp and his last student, but not the details of the matter. He'd usually dodged the subject and she'd never really pressed him for details. When they first met and she'd asked him to take her away from the Nightsisters, she could sense his reluctance to teach her the way of the Jedi as she'd asked him. She'd been aware of the force almost as long as she'd been able to use it, in accordance with the Nightsisters teachings and designs.

Kyp stood patiently, awaiting the Council's answer.

BC walked around the young Padawan. He looked deep into her. His strength with the Force could be felt as he gazed into her heart. Moving slowly and in a deep trance BC kneeled down to meditate. 

Xae followed the tall being with her eyes as he walked around her, she did her best to contain her nervousness. What would happen to her if she were denied training? Would she still get to stay with Kyp?

"Yes. "

He spoke as he stayed in meditation.

"You have my permission to train her."

Upon hearing that she was granted permission to stay with Kyp and that she was to be trained, Xae visibly relaxed.__

Kyp bowed to the Wookie Jedi Master out of respect and gratitude. 

"Thank you, my friend... Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my Padawan. With the current state of the Jedi Order, her formal training must begin at once."

"Come, Xae. Lets grab something to eat and then we'll get started with your training."

Kyp walked out of the room with a flourish, his Jedi Cloak flowing elegantly behind him as he went in search of the cafeteria.

Xae bowed to the council as well and offered a smile to the Jedi that had been waiting to speak next to her. As soon as she and Kyp were out of earshot of the council she smiled mischievously, "I guess that you're stuck with me now Kyp!" She laughed as she nudged him in the side as they went on the quest for food.

Kyp looked down at Xae and laughed.

"It's nothing I can't handle... Besides, I've already had to spend 5 years with you... Training you in the ways of the Force should be a walk in the park by comparison!"

Kyp and Xae came to a large room with several tables and booths. On the far side of the room, there was a buffet-style Cafeteria, where there was a short line. They made their way to the line, where they waited to get some much-needed food.

"Yeah and after five years of your cooking it's a wonder I'm not dead!" She teased as the two of them sat down in one of the booths, in reality Kyp wasn't really all that bad of a cook. In fact, he was quite good. Xae-Lin just liked giving him a hard time.

As they ate, she found herself watching the others that were in the cafeteria, mainly those representing races that she'd never seen before. During her travels with Kyp, she'd only really ever encountered the Chiss and Elomin and a handful of other races. "I had no idea that there were so many of you...well us," she said taking a bite of her food. "And not just people of our race either," she added, almost in awe.

Kyp looked up from his food with a knowing smile

"And we come to the first lesson... The Force is in all things... All races have the potential to be Jedi."

He gestured toward the variety of Jedi gathered in the cafeteria. 

"This is but a handful of the species in the galaxy... and there used to be thousands upon thousands of Jedi. Now we are reduced to a few dozen or so."

Xae looked about the cafeteria again, wondering what each race was called. She turned her attention back to her dinner. "And what would the second lesson be, hmm?" She laughed again. This was a new adventure and a challenge for her, one to which she was looking forward to meeting. "That the Dark-Side operates the same indiscriminitory way?"

Kyp finished his Kaarnak stew and continued.

"The Dark Side is the other half of a whole. in a way it acts the same, indiscriminate of who or what race is able to use it. However, the Dark side is easier, quicker, and more alluring. It offers a false sense of power, taking an awful toll on the person using it. It may not always be easy to stay on the path of the Light, but it is more than worth the effort in the long run. I know this from experience... the Dark Side is not to be trifled with."

The young woman locked eyes with her master, seeing something ghost across his eyes as he talked about the Dark Side. Had that been the great tragedy with his last student? Xae finished her stew as well, "That's the type of magic that the Sisters called 'Shadow Magic' right? I remember some of the Shadow users being very powerful...but also fairly young for the most part." She was tempted to ask Kyp if that had been why he didn't want to train her in more than meditation. "That's what they kept trying to teach me. I never liked Shadow Magic much."

Kyp took a moment before answering, he could sense there was more to her question than she was letting on...

"Yes, Shadow Magic the Dark Side, but there's more to the Dark Side than that, however, we have discussed this subject enough for now. Curiosity about such things is best left alone. You should be focusing on more important things, like studying the Jedi Code."

Xae-Lin nodded, assenting to Kyp's request. Then the mischievous gleam returned to her eye, "So I have to learn another language?" She cocked her head, laughing. She knew what he meant and the only way that linguistics would be involved was in the explanation of said code.

"Xae, I'll leave you to meet some of the Jedi here," Kyp said abruptly as he turned, noticing one of the council members. "I must have a word with the council on another matter."

Kyp walked over to where Hou-Jo Poleb was standing, still wiping the crumbs from his meal off his hands.

"Master Poleb... there's an urgent matter I must discuss with the Jedi Council. If the council will grant me audience on the matter, that is."

Hou-Jo nodded, "I will try and get a meeting for you, but I would have to track down all the Council members. A hearing would take time, I hope you realize."

"I understand... and I apologize for my ignorance in the matter I wish to address. I can see that the Jedi have diminished a bit since I left all those years ago. I mainly want to discuss the current course of action with the Council, so that I may fulfill my purpose here. I'll be in my quarters putting my stuff away... you may find me there later after the Council has assembled."

Kyp bowed to the Jedi Master, and went to find his quarters.

Xae nodded to Kyp, "I'll see you later then." The petite nineteen-year old cleared her and her master's dishes, taking them to the cleaning/recycle area that she'd seen others use. She decided to do some exploring, eventually going outside.

She saw another figure standing on the platform, just staring at the sky. "Hello," She said coming to stand next to the women, a gentle wind stirring her auburn hair. Xae-Lin turned her gaze skyward as she absently fiddled with the training lightsaber on her belt that Kyp had given her before he'd left for his quarters.

Tiana turned around, to look at the girl standing behind her. The newcomer was older than she was, Tiana assumed, maybe four years, or more. "Hi," Tiana greeted, leaving the skies that she found so fascinating, to bring herself back down to earth. "I'm Tiana Elass. And you are?"

She smiled, and waited for a reply from the petite stranger.

"Xae-Lin Ardel," The young woman said, extending her hand to the other woman. "I take it that you're new here, too?" Xae smiled.

Tiana smiled, and extended her hand as well. "Hi, Xae. Yeah, I am new here as well, as it would seem. I suppose I should say welcome, but being new myself, I can't really. When did you get here?"

Xae smiled, "A few hours ago actually. Where are you from originally?" She realized that this might not be a prudent line of conversation, as she had spent most of her life on a planet that was known for its connections to the Dark Side of the Force.

Tiana nodded at Xae. "Yeah, then I suppose you wouldn't've had much time to settle in," she commented, when the other girl answered that she had arrived a few hours ago, towards the most.

Tiana paused slightly, taking a moment to think. "Well, I'm from Coruscant," she replied slowly. "I'm not quite sure if I was born there, though. What of you?"

"Well, I just thought that I'd stay on the **Redemption**," Xae-Lin shrugged, she didn't see the sense in settling in to a room here, unless Kyp decided to stay longer than a few weeks. It wasn't that she had all that much to move with her, she'd just become accustomed to her quarters on the ship.

When it came to responding to her own question that had been thrown back her way, Xae paused for a moment. She'd been the one to bring up the topic, so it would be wrong of her indeed to not respond to something that she quite willingly brought up herself. "Dathomir." She thought herself silly for worrying over it so; she'd already been approved as Kyp's Padawan and didn't think that she would have been allowed to further her training with him if the Wookie had sensed anything dark residing within her.

"How long have you been here?" The petite auburn-haired young woman decided to play the same tactic on the taller woman, who seemed relatively close to her age, give or take a few years.

Kyp Durron sat in his training room, studying the Holocron's history of Darth Vader's Jedi purge. _The one who was to bring Balance to the Force... Little did they know what kind of "balance" was in store for the Jedi. So many Jedi lost in the purge... We've come so far since then. And yet, at every turn, the Empire threatens to wipe us out. Something needs to be done._ Kyp touched the force-sensitive crystal panel on the side of the Holocron, switching it off and returning it to its stand on the black marble desk. 

"Come on, R2. It's time for us to go."

R2-E6 chortled an inquisitive string of beeps, and then followed Kyp out of the room. Kyp locked the door to his training room, so that the study materials kept within wouldn't fall into the all-too-eager hands of any apprentices who wanted a quick route to power. Then he walked down the halls to the hanger bay, the astromech droid following along attentively. As they came to the **Redemption**, Kyp stopped for a moment.

"R2, run the pre-flight diagnostics and fire up the converters. Prep the ship for takeoff, and plot a course for Ossus. I need to go find Xae."

The little droid whistled an affirmative and set to the task. As the sublight converters started up with a whine, Kyp Durron left the hangar bay to look for Xae. Hopefully, she would understand...

"Here?" Tiana paused for a moment, seeing that Xae had a similar personality to her... coming up with the exact same questions she herself would've. "If you mean Manaan, I've been here as long as everyone else, a couple days at the most. If you mean here, as coming to the Jedi, I arrived on Hoth..." Tiana stopped. She didn't know how long ago it had been, not that long. "A week, maybe a bit longer. I wasn't keeping track of the time. You're from Dathomir? That's interesting... an Outer Rim planet, isn't it?" 

"Yes, it's on the Outer-Rim...kind of out there. I've never been in this part of the galaxy before actually," Xae-Lin admitted.  
"The Jedi have more than one temple? Or they've only been here that long?" Xae was confused, Kyp had been right, something was definitely going on, she could almost sense it. 

Tiana nodded slightly. "So you're staying on a ship... meaning that you don't intend to stay here long. Who's your master, then?"

Xae looked about the area absently, "I don't really know what Kyp's plans are. He doesn't often tell me much other than what he thinks that I need to know at the time," She shrugged, seemingly not caring one way or another. "I was just officially assigned to him as a Padawan." She noticed the familiar figure in the black and purple cloak approaching from across the landing platform. "And here he comes now." She wasn't sure if the other newcomer would notice the casual usage of Kyp's given name, rather than referring to him by his title.

Tiana shrugged. "I'm not sure if the Temple here has been here long, or not. But there was an attack by the Empire on Hoth, so we came here. If you wanted details, I'm afraid I don't recall much though, Xae."

She smiled. "So you are a Padawan then... I thought as much. To... Kyp." She stopped, the name being unfamiliar to her, and the fact that Xae was using his name, and not title... that was different. Tiana had gotten used to the titles, so it caught her slightly off-guard to hear someone not using a title. "Then you've been with him longer, though," she commented, as usual, reading between the lines. Growing up with two brothers, one learned to think fast, and such.

She glanced over as Xae pointed out Kyp coming over there. "Ahh. Then you probably _aren't_ staying long. However, it was nice meeting you, Xae-Lin." Tiana smiled. "It's nice to talk with someone close to my height."

"I've been traveling with Kyp for about five years now, but in the Unknown Regions," She smiled at the other woman. "It was nice meeting you too. I understand about the height thing...Kyp's a good foot taller than I am!" She laughed as the Jedi they were discussing drew closer.

"Miss me that much Kyp?" She teased, unaware that her behavior towards her master was in no way the norm.

Kyp Durron walked up to the two women, the black and purple Jedi cloak flowing behind him like a living thing. He bowed as he came to the two, in a gesture of greeting. He looked at the taller of the two with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Greetings... we haven't met yet. My name is Kyp Durron."

Kyp turned to face Xae.

"Xae, I have R2 prepping the **Redemption** for takeoff. I found reference in my Holocron to something that may help both the Jedi and the Rebellion. Hou-Jo mentioned Jedi Battle Meditation... it's a lost Jedi ability. That is to say, it's not used by many Jedi. The last reference I could find to it being used was by Nomi Sunrider some 4000 or more years ago. There was a rumor of it being used as recently as the Jedi Purge, but that's un-substantiated. In any case, there's an artifact called the Kyberr Crystal that may still be in the ruins of the old Jedi Temple on Ossus... I need to consult with Hou-Jo before we leave, but if we find this crystal, it could tip the scales on our favor."

"Sounds like fun," Xae said to Kyp before bowing to Tiana. "Well it was very nice talking to you, and may our paths cross again!" 

She gave a nod to Kyp and asked, "Shall I go wait on the ship then or do you want me to go with you?"

"You may accompany me or you can wait on the ship... I leave the choice to you."

With that, Kyp bowed once again to Xae's friend, and walked through the doorway into the halls, in search of Hou-Jo.

Xae decided to follow Kyp to perhaps learn what she could from observing her master. "So if we get the approval of the council we get to go looking for this special stone?" There was still a lot about the Jedi that she didn't yet fully grasp, but she also knew that that knowledge would yet come in time.

Kyp Durron and his apprentice entered the Council chamber and bowed in greeting and respect to the members assembled there so far. As Xae-Lin stood quietly behind and slightly to the right of the Jedi Knight, Kyp waited for the Council to recognize him.

"Kyp, this meeting was arranged by Master Gantoris. I do not believe the meeting was made on your part, please exit and wait until the entire Council has arrived. Also, please be courteous next time and wait for permission to enter, if it is not too much to ask." The council member that Xae-Lin recognized as the one that Kyp had left to speak with after their meal remanded her master.

"Very well... I shall excuse myself. My apprentice and I are leaving this planet. I wanted to address the council on the matter, but I'll go it alone instead. If we're successful, it will be of great help to the Jedi. Now if you'll excuse me, the **Redemption** is prepped and ready for departure."

Kyp bowed to Hou-Jo before he left the Council chamber.

"Come Xae... we'll work some more on your lightsaber techniques on the way to Ossus."

Xae-Lin wisely kept silent by Kyp's side through out the entire encounter with the council. She bowed deeply to the council, not really understanding what the entirety of the situation had been. Turning, she followed the Jedi Knight out of the chamber and to the ship. 

_Finally_, she thought,_ something to learn other than just how to control my emotions. _She smiled at Kyp as they made their way back to the ship. "So how far is it to this fun little world?" the young woman asked.

"It's in the Outer Rim territories..."Kyp responded, on the way to the hangar bay."It will take two days in Hyperspace to reach... enough time to give you a primer in lightsaber techniques."

As they boarded the shuttle, Kyp had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind... but he shrugged it off, and he and Xae boarded the **Redemption**. A few seconds later, with a whine of the repulsor lifts, the Lambda-Class shuttle lifted off and floated out of the hangar bay. As it gained altitude, the wings folded down and locked in place. Breaking through the cloud canopy. I_t IS a beautiful planet... hopefully the Jedi will still be based here upon our return... __  
_and then the atmosphere above it, Kyp took another look at the planet below  
Kyp pulled the Hyperspace Actuation lever, and the star-field burst into star-lines, and then the blue-white swirl of hyperspace as the **Redemption** Headed for open space.

Xae-Lin crept into the cockpit, taking off her training helmet and tossing Kyp the training remote (which he deftly caught) she plopped down into the co-pilot's seat next to Kyp as they traveled through Hyperspace. Smiling as she quickly re-braided her hair, Xae-Lin turned the seat so that she faced the Jedi. When she'd first met up with Kyp and had had her first experience traveling at hyper-speed, it had frightened her and enthralled the young teen at the same time. Five years later, and the frightening effect had worn off, but the excitement she felt still remained. The excitement at the unexpected adventure that awaited her in regions of the galaxy that she'd never seen before was what Xae felt made life worth living. So it was with the adventure in mind that she turned to Kyp, "So tell me about this planet that we're going to, Kyp."

Kyp pulled up a visual of Ossus on the holoprojector. A beautiful blue-tinged planet appeared, backlit between two suns.  
"The planet Ossus is an important part of Jedi History. The Jedi Temple and Jedi Library were both located there before the Jedi moved them to Coruscant. I found a reference in my Holocron to a Jedi Artifact that I must have missed last time I was there. We're going to retrieve it."

Xae leaned back in the co-pilot's seat and crossed her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow at Kyp, "So tell me, Kyp...Do you give vague answers just to annoy me? Or to make me think?" 

Inwardly, Kyp laughed, he never really thought about it, as it seemed so simple to him. "I always knew that one day I'd start your training as a Jedi. A Jedi must be constantly aware of their surroundings, as you reminded me the other day. One reason I am 'vague' it to make you stop and think, to pay closer attention to detail and such. Another reason is that many of the Jedi's teachings depend on a person's own point of view. If you let the Force guide your actions, the meanings become less 'vague', and things start to come into focus."

Xae looked slightly annoyed, but she knew that Kyp was right. "So I just need to focus more?" She pressed a few buttons and brought up a screen that had some of the basic information on the planet. "The force is older than I thought. What happened to all the Jedi? Shouldn't there be more if the force has been in use for this long?"

A saddened expression appeared on the Jedi's face. He knew the time would come when she'd ask this question. He remembered when he'd asked Master Luke pretty much the same question, all those years ago at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. It had taken Luke a while to answer, as it took a Kyp a long moment to compose his thoughts now. After a couple minutes, he finally sighed and answered her. "A long time ago, I asked my master, Luke Skywalker, the same question. He told me that when his father, Anakin Skywalker, fell to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, he and Emperor Palpataine sought to wipe out the Jedi. They did this because the Jedi were the only ones who could threaten Palpataine's power. They all but succeeded in their efforts too. Had it not been for Obi-Wan and Master Yoda, the Jedi might well have been wiped out a long time ago"

She met his eyes, sensing a quiet pain in him," Master Luke...you quote him often, I recognize the name." Xae looked back out across the star-streaks, white tendrils on the blackness of space, as she continued, "Then there is still hope...you said that all races have the potential to be Jedi...that means there are more of you...us out there." The auburn-headed teen turned back to Kyp, "And that Palpataine guy is gone, isn't he? Tiana, the other newcomer mentioned that she and the other Jedi had only arrived there a few days before we did. Where is Hoth?" Xae-Lin's first encounter with the other Jedi had sparked far more questions in her quick mind than answers.

"It's on the other side of the Galaxy from where we're going. The rebel alliance had a base there shortly after the first Death Star was destroyed at the Battle of Yavin."

Suddenly, an urgent beeping started emanating from the Navicomputer control panel.

"We're coming up on Ossus... We'll continue this conversation once we're planet-side."  
Kyp reached for the Hyperdrive Actuator Lever, and the blue-white swirl of hyperspace resolved itself into star-lines...


	2. Ossus

Disclaimer: First off, this is a work of fan-fiction in that it is set in the Star Wars Universe, and occasional cannon characters may or may not pop up. Kyp Durron is a book character and I claim not rights to owning or creating him. The only character that is mine (unless otherwise stated) is Xae-Lin Ardel.

Second, this tale is a compellation of posts in an on-line RPG to which I contribute. ( the only claim I have to the creativity are the voices, ideas, and actions of my own personal character, Xae-Lin Ardel. I wish to thank the people that I am fortunate enough to interact with via this medium. Many of them are excellent writers, and without them Xae's Tale would likely be boring.

Now that all that technical butt-covering is taken care of, please enjoy the exploits of Xae and her adventures.

Sakami

Ch 1: Ossus

Ossus, located in the Adega system (one of the six remaining Auril systems), orbits the twin Adegan suns in a figure-eight trajectory. It was an important Jedi stronghold and learning center in ancient times, and there is some speculation that the Order of Jedi Knights began on this planet. Ossus was once covered with many cities, and a range of rocky mountains was located near the Knossa spaceport. The steep canyon walls are still covered with elaborate murals, and the planet's atmosphere is charged with occasional electrical storms. 

In Ancient time, following the Freedon Nadd Uprisings on Onderon, Jedi Master Arca planned to send the ancient Sith artifacts recovered from Freedon Nadd's ship there for examination, but Exar Kun was able to retrieve them first. In the chaos, surrounding the Great Sith War, Aleema and Crado destroyed the Cron System, located near the Adega System. Ossus was caught in the wave of destruction radiating from the supernova. The Jedi attempted to transport the artifacts and lore from the libraries there, but were only able to take a fraction of the wealth stored there over the millennia. In an attempt to preserve a cache of lightsabers, Master Ood Bnar initiated his lifecycle change, becoming a gnarled old tree with the lightsabers entangled in his roots. He was nearly destroyed by the radiation from the Cron System.

About 4000 years ago, all the cities of Ossus were abandoned during the Great Sith War. The Ysanna, a tribe of warrior-shamans who use the Force to guide their primitive weapons, took up residence on Ossus following its abandonment. Over the ages, great cities grew out of the planet's rough, irradiated terrain. In modern times, the planet was nearly wiped out during the Clone Wars. The enemies of the Jedi Knights struck there, attempting to destroy the stronghold and root out the Jedi. Although the planet was devastated, the Jedi survived. Later, following the death of Emperor Palpataine's first clone on Byss, Luke Skywalker and Kam Solusar discover the planet's ancient Jedi connection, and are directed there by Master Vodo's holocron just before Sedriss executed Operation Shadow Hand. There find the Ysanna tribe and the ancient Jedi Master Ood Bnar. The planet's electrical storms probably result from the near-devastation it suffered during the Clone Wars.

A 10,000-year-old lightsaber, given to Leia Organa Solo by Vima-Da-Boda, surfaced 800 years ago in an archaeological dig on Ossus. Luke Skywalker visited an arid, sandy portion of the planet during the Emperor's reappearance and discovered the Ysanna tribe, an ancient Jedi library, and a vault of lightsabers hidden beneath the roots of the Neti Jedi Master Ood Bnar. At the time of Skywalker's departure, the New Republic was planning to send in excavation teams to explore Ossus' ruins. While on an undercover mission to Borgo Prime thirteen years later, Skywalker and Tenel Ka claimed that they needed Corusca gems to open a sealed treasure vault located on Ossus. 

In more recent times, Kyp Durron recovered some forgotten Jedi relics on Ossus, including a Holocron, a few lightsabers, and several books and scrolls... He also feels that there could still be some hidden vaults on Ossus; waiting to be found by someone who is persistent enough to search for them...

Thus begins the Kyberr Quest.

The **Redemption** emerged from hyperspace, and approached the bluish Jewel of a planet.

"Not picking up any major technology in use... the planet must have escaped detection from the Empire since the last time I was here. I had to slice into the Imperial Database on Coruscant back then to erase their records... That was back when my daugh..."

Kyp cut off abruptly... he almost slipped and mentioned his daughter, and he wasn't quite ready to tell Xae what happened with Serena yet. He thought quickly, and talked quickly to try and cover the slip. 

"That was back when I found the Holocron and other Jedi artifacts I have locked back in my training room on Manaan. Ok... switch on the Ionization shielding... we're going to need it to get through the electrical storm we're bound to run into on the way down."

Xae-Lin Ardel, Kyp's surprise passenger from Dathomir, looked up sharply, noticing that Kyp had made the slip, but as he'd covered it, she decided to let it drop, for the moment anyway. "So you and this planet have a lot of history, huh? Or is it the planet with the history and you just happen to be caught up in it?"

At his mention of the electrical storms, she thought it prudent to stay strapped in her seat. She pressed one of the many buttons that were on the panel on her left, switching on the Ionization shielding as Kyp had asked her to do. "I have to admit...it is a lovely planet though."

She laughed as Kyp steered the Redemption through the planet's atmosphere. "So basically we're looking for some sort of Rock that responds to the Force?"

"I have a bit of History, but this planet is rumored to be the very origin of the Jedi, at least that's what Master Vodo says in the Holocron. As for the 'rock' we're looking for, it's a special crystal artifact from the Sith War era. It doesn't so much respond to the Force as amplify certain aspects of it. Aspects we'll need if the Jedi are to help the Rebellion against the Empire."

The shuttle groaned and shuddered as it flew through the twilight halo separating the pitch black of space from the hazy atmosphere of the cloudy, blue-jewel planet. Kyp grunted as he struggled with the sluggish controls, unable to see anything through the misty clouds obscuring the transparisteel canopy. The ship bucked and shook like a living thing as multiple lightning bolts struck it. Suddenly, an ear-splitting _CRACK_, and everything in the cockpit went dark. With a shower of sparks from the control panel, and the sickly sweet metallic smell of melting electronics, the Ionization shield failed and the Lambda-Class shuttle went dead-stick, stalling into a free-fall.

Xae looked at Kyp, obviously scared. She noticed that Kyp's eyes were narrowed to mere slits, his brows knitted as if in concentration. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, however, Kyp held a hand up to silence her. _Her thoughts are so full of panic... Calm Xae... Calm. Trust me... Trust the Force._

Kyp took a deep breath and released both of his hands from the controls of the shuttle, placing them in front of his chest, fingertips from each hand not quite touching. Xae imagined she saw a faint blue glow emanating from his fingertips, but couldn't be sure, it could just be the lightning playing tricks on her eyes. As she watched him, the sweat on his brow starting to trickle down his face, he reached out with his hands, palms down, and suddenly the ship's erratic fall halted gently, the ship's repulsor lifts appearing to have kicked back in, but no, the control panels were still dead, and the shuttles engines were as quiet as the grave. One final _CRACK_ of lighting and thunder, a slight whooshing sound, and then they broke through the cloud canopy. The ground below was slowly coming into focus, and instead of the rushing fall of death that Xae expected, the shuttle's approach to the ground was gentle. With a grinding crunch of scraping and splintering gears, the wings of the Lambda-Class shuttle slowly folded up to their landing position. Then the shuttle gently set down on the ground, almost more gently than if she had been riding on the repulsor lifts. Once the ship was on the ground, Kyp exhaled and relaxed. Xae looked at him in awe; she hadn't yet seen this sort of Force power in use, manipulation of a physical structure of this magnitude with simply the power of the Force had, until that very moment, seemed impossible.

Xae was still shaking slightly from the adrenaline rush as she unbuckled herself from the seat. "Any landing you can walk away from...," she muttered to herself. She took a moment to calm her mind before she stood up still a little shaky, but otherwise fine. "You okay Kyp?" She waved away the smell of the burnt electronics. She looked out nervously over the terrain from the main viewport. "So what's the damage?"

Kyp looked at the control panels, which were still smoking. He tried a couple of buttons, with no response... "It looks like the reactor needs repaired. Just a guess... the ship is out of power, and these panels will have to be replaced or repaired." He looked out of the transparisteel canopy. "See those buildings on that mountain? That may be the old Jedi Temple. We need to make it there... the ship is useless to us as she is."

Xae-Lin looked out over trees to the mountains in the distance, frowning a bit, "You mean those odd little specks?" She sighed. This was shaping up to be one hell of an adventure alright. "It's not like I'm ungrateful or anything, but do you think that you could've maybe, oh I don't know, tried to land us a bit closer to the temples?" She didn't wait for an answer, but instead turned on her heel and went to see if R2-E6 was still operational. Then something clicked in her brain and she wheeled back around to Kyp, "Wait a minute...Did I hear your voice in my head when everything went out? Or has being around you this long caused me to start hearing voices?"

"All things happen for a purpose..." The Jedi smiled as he looked at his young apprentice. "You heard me, not voices. Through the Force, Jedi can communicate to each other telepathically and that you were able to 'hear' it instead of thinking it was your own thought means you've been practicing the meditation techniques I've been teaching you. Well done."

The apprentice laughed, "Well it's not like I was taught much else to practice..." The petite young woman continued to the back of the cockpit, hoping that R2 hadn't been fried as well with the rest of the electronics. She pulled off one of the panel coverings that had been knocked from its proper position in the panel above her, "Uh...Kyp...I think that you better come look at this..." Having lived most of her life on Dathomir, she hadn't had all that much experience with droids (okay, before she met up with Kyp she'd had none), so she wasn't sure if R2 was alright or not, he was on his side and she knew that she'd never be able to right him again. So carefully she brushed away some of the loose wires that had been exposed so that they wouldn't interfere further with the droid. 

"R2, you all right?" Kyp asked the purplish-blue and white astromech droid. R2-E6 bleeped an affirmative, and then a string of inquisitive beeps. "It'll be all-right R2, we'll get you righted once we're outside, without the landing gear down, the boarding ramp isn't going to open all the way... I'd have had to put you on your side anyway." Kyp opened a panel by the boarding ramp, and switched it over to manual over-ride. He worked the pneumatic pump, and then hit the release lever. The boarding ramp extended about halfway, stopping when it hit the rocky ground.

Xae looked at the just over three-and a half foot opening out into the rocky terrain outside the ship. "I guess I'll go out first then...," she said as she ducked through the opening, her hand resting near her blaster and long knife. Her senses were alert, if there was anything or anyone out there the **Redemption's** landing wouldn't have gone unnoticed. "Okay...Looks to be clear..." she called back through to Kyp.

Kyp had sensed the men watching the ship, waiting for someone to emerge. Mercenaries or smugglers, most likely here searching for ancient and valuable artifacts left behind on the deserted planet. They obviously had seen the ship's near crash, and had come to investigate. Although Kyp sensed their presence, he said nothing to Xae, she needed to learn to be more aware of her surroundings, and if it came to blows, he wouldn't let anything serious happen to her. He grabbed two large belt packs, and filled them with rations. They would be able to find water in the Jungle easy enough. Double-checking the rest of the ship, he grabbed the personal com-link microcomputer unit and clipped it to his belt alongside the food pack. R2-E6 whistled an inquisitive string of beeps.

"Yes, R2, I'm sure it's perfectly safe for you to come along. I'll have you out of the ship and back on your wheels in a sec."

Kyp crawled out of the shuttle on his hands and knees, bumping his head on the overhead part of the hatchway. Hearing Xae giggle at this, he just shook his head and continued until he could stand up. He looked at Xae, an indignant expression on his face.

"And what are you laughing at?" Kyp asked her.

"I guess it pays to be short sometimes," Her eyes glittered in mirth. "That and I find it humorous that the Great Jedi Knight hit his head." She looked out towards the trees, trying to get a lay of the land, and then she turned to Kyp, "So is R2 staying?" She asked curiously then noticing the food pack on his belt Xae added, "And I'm guessing that I'm to find my own food then?" 

Kyp reached into his cloak, pulled out another belt pack, and tossed it to Xae. As she reached to catch it, Kyp gestured to the pack, causing it to stop in mid-air, just out of her reach as she jumped to try to catch it. "Patience, Xae, you assume too much. I wouldn't make you fend for yourself when it comes to food; you ought to know that by now." Kyp said with a wounded look on his face.

Xae gave him an annoyed look, "I know that Kyp. And you should know by now that I enjoy giving you a hard time, you know...keeping you on your toes and all that." She gave it another try, her fingers just barely brushing the food pack. She was steadily becoming annoyed with him, but she wisely opted to go for the mind-blanking technique he'd taught her to control her annoyance. "So are we just going to hang around here or are we going on the Great Galactic Scavenger Hunt?"

Kyp let the pack drop into her open hands as soon as she took her eyes off it. As she caught it, he turned his attention to the astromech droid. "Yes, we're going, as soon as I get R2 out of..." _SPANG!,_ Kyp was cut off, by a blaster bolt splattering against the hull of the **Redemption**...

Xae-Lin took her own blaster from her hip as she clipped the food pack to her own belt. The petite girl moved back towards what cover the ship afforded, "This just keeps getting better doesn't it?" Whoever was shooting at them must have been the life that she'd been sensing, though she just thought that it belonged to whatever fauna called this planet home.

Kyp drew the old lightsaber from his belt and ignited the purple-white blade with a snap-hiss, with less than half a second to spare, intercepting and deflecting the next incoming blaster bolt as he brought the lightsaber blade to attention. Reaching out with his feelings, he surrendered to the Force, letting it guide him as he spun to the right to deflect three bolts from hitting Xae, and another from hitting himself. Calmly, Kyp extended a hand toward the two figures barely visible in the brush just before the tree line, and two blasters flew up into the air, appearing to have been thrown by the strangers... but that wasn't right, the figures in the brush hadn't raised their hands to throw anything. Seeing that they were now unarmed, Xae carefully aimed her blaster to finish them off, but was stopped by Kyp before she could squeeze the trigger. "There is no need to kill... they are unarmed now, and pose little threat. Jedi do not kill needlessly." Kyp said with a strange smile. 

She looked up at the Jedi Knight questioningly, but nodded and holstered her weapon. Though in her mind she thought that just because the obvious weapons were gone, that didn't mean that those two weren't dangerous. She was definitely not happy about being shot at, especially after a near-crash landing on an unfamiliar planet. "Are the locals always this friendly?" The young woman said as she came to stand beside Kyp, her eyes scanning the tree line as she spoke, trying to stay on the alert for any other threats. Xae-Lin Ardel was not one who enjoyed being taken by surprise. Wisely, she tamped down her irritation and tried to focus on the matter at hand. "I get the feeling that someone or something does not want us here Kyp."

Watching as the two shadowy figures ran away, Kyp closed down the Lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. "The 'locals' try to stay out of sight, mostly. Those two were more than likely pirates or smugglers. This planet has lots of lost treasures, waiting to be found."   
Turning his attention back to the astromech, still lying on his side in the cargo hold, Kyp gestured to him, levitating him off the ground and carefully out the half-opened boarding ramp. Once safely on all three treads, R2-E6 chortled a thankful whistle. "Come on Xae, let's get started... it's going to be dark in a couple hours, and we'll need to find a good spot to camp before that."

Xae nodded. _A secure camp_ she thought sardonically. Her face was hard set as she kept aware for anymore of the pirates, smugglers or whoever the heck they were. "So how long ago was it that you were actually here? And if this place has so many valuable artifacts, why hasn't the New Republic done anything about protecting this place?" She gave the little astromech droid a fond little pat as she walked by it. Then, gracefully leaping from rock to rock oddly not disturbing them or stumbling on the loose hunks of earth-tempered mineral mixtures, she approached the tree-line and waited to R2 and Kyp. Though her trek through the rocky terrain between the ship and the surrounding jungle, she appeared to be careless, as though she weren't fully aware of her immediate surroundings, Xae was anything but unaware of what was going on in her immediate vicinity, as much as her training and senses would allow her to be.

Kyp reached out with the Force and checked to make sure the attacked had indeed fled before he and Xae ventured into the jungle. Sensing that they were gone, he turned back to Xae

"The New Rebellion hasn't really given the Jedi much thought from what I've seen. Very few people actually know of this place. Those smugglers were either lucky or unfortunate to find this planet. In either case, they are probably stranded more or less the same as we are." Kyp smiled another one of his all-knowing smiles. "Except I've been here before, which gives us the advantage. Come, we'll head north, toward where the sun is setting behind that mountain over there."

Xae looked at her Jedi friend and master, as they made their way north, "If they're stranded as we are Kyp," she paused as she took out her long knife to cut away at the underbrush in order to present them with a clearer path. "Then perhaps they've been here long enough to become as familiar with the terrain and layout as you are. If that's the case then they maybe dangerous or desperate to get off of this planet." The young woman shrugged. "Then again...I think that I'm babbling out-loud again...Sorry Kyp."

Her knife became lodged in a tree trunk and she had to brace her boot against the wood that held the weapon captive and pull with much of her strength just to get it free once again. Suddenly the knife came free and the young woman was momentarily caught off-balance, but quickly regained her footing, though her knife-bearing hand went out wide, nearly cutting Kyp, had the Jedi not dodged at the last instant. She turned to face her Jedi Master, "Sorry about that...and sorry about this, but someone's got to say it. That was a close shave."

Kyp absent-mindedly brushed his palm over his smoothly shaved head..."That's ok, just try to be careful" It was rough going for the next hour or so, until they came to a small clearing. Kyp looked around making sure everything was ok. "This looks like a good spot for camp. I'll start setting up the shelter." 

"Okay. I'm going to do a bit of scouting of the immediate area, perhaps set a few early warning systems." Xae didn't wait for a response, but instead scrambled up the nearest tree with such ease that she was high and concealed with in its boughs before Kyp had even set to work on the shelters. "Kyp, I'll stay within ear shot." Her voice called from over-head and to Kyp's right. "Besides, when was the last time we really got to have an adventure?"

Kyp shook his head and watched as she skittered up the tree, and into the jungle canopy above it. She was truly in her element here. _The last time we got to have an adventure..._ Kyp thought to himself. His thoughts wandered to another time, a long time ago, when he'd last been on Ossus. He thought of the times he and his daughter had in training at the Jedi Library... _A Jedi seeks not adventure... that was what went wrong before. I should have minded what Master Luke told me concerning adventure... then perhaps Serena would still be here. _Kyp breathed in and held it, willing the negative thoughts of guilt and pain away as he exhaled slowly. _No... Always in motion is the future, and one must not dwell on the past, for it may well cost the future at the expense of the present. All will be well this time._ Kyp got up from meditating and checked his wrist chrono. _Three hours? Hmm... it's been a long time since I got lost in meditation for that long._ Kyp then bent down to pick up the main supports of the temporary shelter and finished building the little hut-shaped chambers.

It was nearly dark when the Dathomirian native returned to the camp, descending from one of the trees rather than walking in from the underbrush. Dropping lightly to her feet, she approached Kyp. "The camp of the two that attacked us is about a mile and a half away in," she paused to get her bearings then pointed northwest, "that direction, maybe a little more west. I got just close enough to tell that there are only two of them, but I was careful not to be detected. There are other settlements in the opposite direction, but I don't think that they'll be a threat, at least I don't sense it." Xae-Lin looked at the temporary shelter that Kyp had just finished building. "Sorry I was gone so long. It's nice to be outside again." The young woman smiled happily as she stayed next to the Jedi Knight. "What were you up to while I was gone?" She asked. "More research? Or just meditating?"

Kyp waved a hand towards the now-constructed shelters. "I was busy setting up camp... thanks for the help." He said dryly

Xae smiled mischievously, "You're welcome." Then she thought for a moment, "I guess that means that I've got dinner to cook then?" She laughed, and then her expression turned curious for a moment. "Kyp...You know I don't mean to pry but...well...I was wondering...why were you on Dathomir in the first place five years ago...I mean...it's not as though it's a major tourist destination or anything..." Lately, after her first encounter with the other Jedi on Manaan, and Kyp's succinct decision to leave for Ossus so soon after their arrival, she'd come to wonder and question some things that she'd always just accepted as either good fortune, coincidence, or just plain luck. Furthermore, seeing the reactions and interactions between Kyp and the other Jedi made her wander about what had happened to her friend and teacher.

Kyp looked at her, a sad expression on his face. "This place is tied to a past that I must confront if I am to move on. There are many tests in a Jedi's life. When we met on Dathomir, I was running from that past. I've now come back to confront it, and put to rest the spirit..." he turned away from her and seemed to stare past the trees that surrounded the camp before finishing his sentence, "... of my daughter."

Xae was silent for a moment, finally she whispered, "Oh." She put a hand on his shoulder gently, "Was she a Jedi too?" Xae wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it and she wasn't going to press him. The petite young woman began to set out the preparations to cook their ration packs as she listened to Kyp.

"Her mother was a Jedi. She died while giving birth to Serena. I took care of her as best I could, and started her training at a very young age. Unfortunately, I also sheltered her too much from the realities of this galaxy. In the end, we were blinded by one of my other apprentice's deception. I've failed in a few things in life, and failing my daughter was one of them that I just couldn't deal with." 

Xae looked down for a moment in empathy then things became a little clearer to her, "The Dark Side...I came from a clan of Dark Magic users...that's why you were wary of teaching me much of anything after you helped me escape them. I understand now. I'm sorry." She opened one of the rations packages and put it on the heating unit.

"It's ok. It's not your fault. But the Force moves in mysterious ways indeed. If I hadn't ran from the guilt and pain, we would have never met... and you probably would have been pressed into a life of hatred and darkness by now."

"Or dead." She added flatly. To her that would have been the most likely option if Kyp hadn't come along. She would likely be dead, either by her own hand or from the Sisters' punishments for her almost annual escape attempts. "Were you looking for the same artifact when you were last here?"

"No... No, I only recently learned of the Crystal while studying the Holocron... The holocron is more or less a Force-interactive database of history and teachings. If we find this crystal, it may help the rebellion once again gain a foothold in their struggle with the Empire."

Xae nodded her understanding and she could sense that this conversation had run its course as she finished preparing the food packs. She handed one to Kyp as they ate in relative silence.

The next day, Xae-Lin awoke with a start, feeling that something was odd. As she got up and slipped on her tunic and robes, she reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what was wrong. When she felt for her master, he wasn't there. Alarmed, she rushed out of her shelter, blaster drawn, and ran toward the edge of the camp. There were a couple large, twisted trees at the edge of the camp, and she edged around the nearest of them quickly, almost expecting to run into danger immediately. Instead, she ran smack into Kyp, who had an ear-to-ear grin on his face. Scowling, she holstered her blaster. Kyp just looked down at her and laughed again. "Sleep well?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed at the Jedi, "A bit too well it would seem. Why didn't you wake me? I was worried." She sighed and shook her head. "Why are you so happy this morning?" She was a little irritated that Kyp had left her, but she inwardly knew that he'd have a good reason for doing so, as he rarely left her without knowing that she was safe.

"As I was meditating this morning, I felt something... I had to go check it out. I infused the area with a Force Barrier just in case anyone decided to snoop around... that's why you couldn't sense that I had left initially. When I came back, I decided to test your danger sense, to see how you'd react. Well done, except you should have reached out a bit more with the Force before blindly rushing into danger... but the fault is not entirely your own. Dathomirians generally use the most direct approach. Here's why I left..." 

Kyp extended his cybernetic left hand, revealing what he had found. A small, purple crystal inset in a decorative setting glimmered in his palm.

"I believe this is the Kyberr crystal which we seek. Master Luke found a related crystal, the Kaiburr Crystal on the planet Mimban a long time ago. That crystal was deeply connected with the Sith Planet on which it resided, and lost more of its power the further away from Mimban it traveled. It was a red crystal, unlike this purple one... and it wasn't set into a decorative base like this one. Curious, it's almost like an ancient holoprojector, some pre-holocron technology or something like it. Anyway, shards of the original Kaiburr Crystal were later used as focusing crystals in some of the lightsabers constructed at Master Luke's Jedi Academy on Yavin IV... including mine. Perhaps that's why I felt the urge to seek this crystal out." 

Kyp handed the artifact to Xae, and the weight of it surprised her. It was uncommonly heavy for its size.

"There is balance in everything. Just as the Light Side of the Force cannot exist without the dark, I believe that this Crystal is a Light Side Artifact, just as the Kaiburr Crystal was of Sith Origins. The Holocron spoke of this Artifact as being ancient, and was used to enhance Jedi Battle Meditation in the great Sith War. With any luck, it will help us in the coming war with the New Empire. Keep it safe, Xae..."

Xae stared as Kyp's form started to fade before her eyes 

"Xae... You have done well in the short time I have actually trained you in techniques and how to feel and use the Force. What you don't know, is that I have been teaching you little things all these years. All those talks about the Galaxy and how all life is tied together. About how Honor, Peace, and Wisdom are important… all of those are truths that are rooted in the Force. Every Jedi feels the Force. Every Jedi seeks Knowledge, which you have, and every Jedi must face their Destiny. And now I must face mine, the Force has called to me, and I must answer that call. You will be safe here Xae. The **_Redemption_** is repaired, and she's yours now, should you decide to leave Ossus. I will come back for you. I promise."

Kyp's form faded into a shadow, and then into nothingness... Xae set about to right the Camp, and then she needed to meditate... She had choices before her and for the first time in her life, freedom...

A few miles away, a battered old junk freighter rose, protesting with a high-pitched whine. The ship had seen better days, and Kyp doubted if the life support systems would hold throughout the flight to Coruscant, but the message left for him on the **Redemption**'s comm had sounded urgent. He _could_ take the **Redemption**, which was the easiest path, but the easy path is not the way of the Jedi. The junk freighter streaked off for space, leaving the Jewel-blue planet of Ossus behind him…


	3. New Beginnings

Disclaimer: First off, this is a work of fan-fiction in that it is set in the Star Wars Universe, and occasional cannon characters may or may not pop up. Kyp Durron is a book character and I claim not rights to owning or creating him. The only character that is mine (unless otherwise stated) is Xae-Lin Ardel.

Second, this tale is a compellation of posts in an on-line RPG to which I contribute. ( the only claim I have to the creativity are the voices, ideas, and actions of my own personal character, Xae-Lin Ardel. I wish to thank the people that I am fortunate enough to interact with via this medium. Many of them are excellent writers, and without them Xae's Tale would likely be boring.

Now that all that technical butt-covering is taken care of, please enjoy the exploits of Xae and her adventures.

Sakami

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

Xae-Lin couldn't help but feel a little lost and abandoned by her friend and master. _What had happened to make Kyp leave me like this?_ she wondered as she clutched the crystal in her hands. _And why did he entrust this to my care? I haven't the first clue how to get it to work._ She quickly pondered her chances of getting back to the Jedi Headquarters safely with the artifact. Kyp charged her with keeping the crystal safe, and what safer place then with the council? Still, something tugged at her mind. Why hadn't he just taken it to the council himself? Was there some sort of training with it that she was supposed to complete on her own first? So many questions and, as always, so few answers.

A few months later…

It had been quite some time since Hartel had been back to Ordo and after this long absence he was happily content with the outcome of his leisure. He was pronounced a full Lord upon his return and claimed to become the future Mandalore of the Mandalorian people. Overall, the one thing that Hartel could take the most from these past few months was but one word.

Perseverance. 

His people were blown away to the brink of extinction and Hartel had once feared he was going to be the last of a dying breed. That was determined to not be true, and John's surprise at their actions and resurgence of numbers invigorated him. It was time to find himself an apprentice and pass on what he has learned to them and the planet of Ossus has been streaming of an untapped potential in John's dreams for days now. The Mandalorian StarViper soared planetward and descended slowly.

Upon first impressions, Ossus was nothing more than a desolate deserted red sanded land. Nothing of any importance laid upon its surface rather than the ancient Jedi Library of olde. Why there would be a force sensitive or any life on this planet other than a fraudulent or criminal one is something uneasy on Hartel's soul but nonetheless his destiny and the path of the Force leads him here.

This ship landed gently a few miles away from where he could clearly sense the other being. This person was alone...and they couldn't have picked a worse spot for such to incur. This was a wasteland of a formerly optimal place and to see its ruin brings stress on ones bearings. Hartel felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart for this place and then moved forward gaining speed as he dashed off toward the center of the force aura.

He darted off being quiet and using his hunting instincts so not to scare the person when he came in their vicinity. Climbing upon the rock formations and jumping from one to another in a gazelle like fashion was made with ease by Hartel as a result of Special Ops training, Mandalorian Training, and the use of the Force to make his armor sound proof.

Jumping off to the tallest pillar of rock he could find Hartel finally caught sight of the beautiful creature. Hartel jumped down from his perch and stepped toward her on the desert plain making himself noticeable, that and his plethora of lightsabers on his belt.

"Why is a pretty woman like yourself alone on a deserted planet?"

Xae-Lin Ardel's eyes flashed open and her hand went to the long knife at her hip. She'd allowed herself to slip too deep into her meditations and hadn't sensed the man's presence until his voice brought her from her reverie. She never liked to be caught off guard, and in the months that she'd been alone on the planet she thought that she'd become better attuned to her surroundings. Her gaze fell on the approaching man, as she stood, brushing the sand off of her tunic and pants. "Meditating," she simply stated, still wary of the approaching stranger.

Her fourteen years growing up in the often violent environment of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, made her overly cautious of strangers. Kyp was the only person that had shown her what kindness was, and he'd left her without a word of explanation. She knew there had to be a good reason but she still felt slightly abandoned by her only trusted friend. And it had taken her almost two of the five years she'd spent with him to fully trust him.

She noticed the lightsabers hanging from the man's belt, and his non-threatening stance. Her inital thought was suspicion that he was trying to lull her in to a false sense of security. Then she remembered one of the lessons that Kyp had taught her, trust in the force.

Never taking her eyes from the stranger or her hand from her knife, she relaxed her mind and attuned to the force.

After a few moments, her hand left her knife, but her readied fighting stance didn't change. Past experiences, had taught her to never completely lower her guard. "And you are?" she asked, not quite able to keep the suspicion from her voice.

She is quite harmonious this one. So alive in the force yet so blind to its light. I wonder who her master was. Who told her she was force adept. She is highly arable to its divinity. So many questions to ask.

"I, my dear lady," said John removing his helmet to release his long dark hair from its confines, "am Lord of Ordo John Hartel, Jedi Knight. I am here on a mission myself and I believe I have found myself upon her doorstep. How long have you been without a master?" 

It was clear she was trained. Hartel took a slow breath in fermenting himself in her scent of luxury and the gloriousness of his force ability. She streamed far more power than he could even remember having in his prime at Haruun Kal. This one was an odd one, someone Hartel would have to take careful consideration with. She was not to be tarnished. Not now. Not ever.

"Jedi Knight?" Xae echoed, finally relaxing a bit more. Even though she didn't have that much experience with other Jedi aside from the short meetings on Manaan and her time with Kyp, she decided to give in to her feelings and trust what this Hartel was saying. At least for now, she silently added to herself as she bit her lip (the only outward sign of her internal debate), not quite willing to fully give into her feelings. "That would explain the collection of lightsabers."

Part of her felt like running, but a greater part was curious about her visitor. "The planet isn't exactly deserted. There's an abundance of life if you know where to look." She raised her chin in gesture toward the tree line that was slightly in the distance behind and to the left of Hartel.

"And how do you know that I'm not just on some training exercise that my master sent me on?" The auburn-haired woman asked as a wry grin spread across her face.

Hartel raised an eyebrow and allowed a smirk to grace his face. She was quirky, sassy, and brilliant. All good signs for a future Padawan at this point.

"Now, do you think I would not be able to sense a Master's presence on this planet? I tracked you here by your aura exuding from your body in the force. There are no other Force Users here but you and I. Now why don't you start off by telling me your name."

Xae raised an eyebrow back at Lord Hartel, fully aware that his statement was true. Finally deciding to give into her feelings, she nodded as though agreeing with herself that it was okay to trust him. "Xae-Lin Ardel," she said simply as she walked towards the taller man, noticing that he was a full foot taller than she was. "It's been a while since I was left here as my master had other matters to attend to." A trace of sadness crossed her eyes. "I chose to continue my training here as best as I could until he returned. I'm not for certain how long it's been actually." When she looked back up at the Jedi Knight, her guarded demeanor had returned.

"Your master doesn't seem like much of a master. If I were him, in this crucial time of deciding your path, I would never leave your side. What kind of master would do this? I wonder...What was his name Miss Xae?"

Xae-Lin frowned at what she felt was an insult to Kyp's training abilities, though more likely it was just an observation that she felt inclined to agree with on some level. She took a step back to better gauge the Lord of Ordo. "I know of the two paths, I will _never_ go down the dark one," her eyes flashed a shade of dark olive green, betraying her anger that someone would suggest such a path for her, or even hint that she would travel down the path that she'd spend much of her live vehemently denying. "You ask what kind of a master would to this to his Padawan. My answer is one that knows his Padawan well and trusts her enough to work in his absence."

She took a deep breath and shook her head, irritated a little that her temper had gotten the best of her. Kyp had taught her better than that. What she didn't want to admit was that those were some of the same questions that she had been puzzling over herself now for countless days.

"I apologize. I apparently still have much to work on as far as controlling my temper is concerned. " She was still hesitant to give up her master's name, as though it would be a betrayal to Kyp.

The indignant tone of his soon to be Padawan struck some sort of grievance in the beautiful Xae. He had seen it not only on others but on himself as well. A taint of hatred and misguidance bringing forth an emotion better left dormant. John had this experience once before. When he ate a man named Kratos to become a Sith Apprentice. He would not let Xae down this path due to a faulty master.

"If you are not ready to divulge me in this information, do not strain yourself on my part. I am sure you have been through much these past few months." the calm voice of the Jedi Knight called out to her. He was much the antithesis of Mandalorian behavior in these days and remarked himself as the perfect gentleman. He sat down crossing his legs and sitting meditatively.

"Won't you join me?"

Xae-Lin now found herself looking down at this mysterious Lord Hartel. She wasn't so sure about his meaning behind the question. She actually sensed that there was an element of duality to the inquiry. True, he was simply asking her to join him in meditation, but there was also an offer to help her in Kyp's absence. A storm of emotions grew within her, she wasn't sure that she fully understood all of them.

After a few moments she decided to take a chance, she could always get away in the Redemption if things turned sour. She crossed her legs and sat, allowing her tan over tunic to form a circle around her, as though it were some sort of protective barrier. Her blue eyes met his deep green in silent assent.

"The landscape of any planet is most easily admired when you can see the cracks in the dirt, and the sun grazing past each grain of sand. Life begins here, the force begins here. If you allow yourself to be lost to it, nothing can be more purifying. To feel it flow within your body like a majestic river flowing gently with a tad of intimidation in its awesome power. Each time I find myself in isolation I feel very close to becoming one with the force, so close to death itself that I am not scared by the concept. In these moments I reflected upon myself and I found what it was to be a Jedi."

The Jedi Knight paused breathing deeply and allowing his eyelids to encapsulate the emeralds beneath them. The pleasure of feeling the grace of the force was overwhelming but nothing more hope-lifting, life-lifting, awe-lifting.

"We are the sheep dogs of this universe, we protect the sheep whether they be black, blue, green, or orange we protect those sheep with our very lives if need be and we are not afraid to do so. They are sometimes scared of our power, of our gift. They see us, not as a sheep dog, but as a wolf because of our similarities to wolves. We fight with the same means and in the same ways. But our cause, and our willingness to die without remorse for such cause is what makes us Jedi. The guardians of peace and justice."

Hartel took another deep breath and turned to Xae examining her once more in wonderment before finishing what he had to say.

"I am afraid to say your master will never return to you. I have seen this abandonment in the past with far too many Jedi who then become lost to the same causes their masters did. In this case, you were a sheep becoming a sheep dog, but your sheep dog was becoming a wolf. And now that is where he remains. Prowling about looking for more sheep to pray on."

The Mandalorian looked to Xae sincerely folding his hands into one another.

"I was a wolf myself at one time and I had a sheep under my nose and as I was about to make him my feast. I realized that the life of a wolf was not one to take, a sheep dog is what I must be. I have dedicated my life to it and fended off wolves myself. And now it is my turn to take the mantle my sheep dog had with me.

"I desire to complete your training Xae if you allow me to do so. With our combined efforts perhaps we can pull your former master back to the light."

Hartel stood up the jingle of his armor the only noise heard as he did so. He unclamped a lightsaber from his belt and tossed it to Xae while she was on the ground.

"Will you join me as my Padawan learner Xae? Or must I leave you on this desolate place to live the rest of your days waiting for him?"

Xae-Lin's shoulders went slack in disbelief of what she was hearing. Kyp…turned to the Dark Side? It couldn't be. In the little she'd learned about him and his daughter and the apprentice that turned against them both, she'd thought it impossible. Kyp had never shown her anything but kindness and patience. She felt for the force, desperate to find some hint that this man was attempting to deceive her only to find the truth staring her back in the face. The pain was evident on her face, she couldn't have even begun to try and hide it from Lord Hartel even if she tried. She wondered if she'd done something to have caused him to turn, and at the same time felt betrayed almost to the core by the only person that she'd ever called friend. She struggled visibly to try and regain her emotional control. She felt dizzy, light headed and as though a thousand voices were crying out in her mind. Her breathing escalated, despite her efforts to calm herself.

She finally couldn't contain the urge to run any more, she needed to clear her head and get some space. She quickly stood and looked down at the Mandalorian Lord, taking a moment to place her hand on his shoulder in silent apology for running. Her intentions weren't to leave the planet, but to clear her head and look at her options for the future. Then she was quickly gone, running towards the tree line, not bothering to cover her obvious trail.

When she reached the clearing where the Redemption stood, R2 D6 chortled a concerned series of beeps as the obviously distressed young woman ran through the camp and up one of the closest trees.

Suddenly feeling very exhausted she slumped against the trunk of the tree from her perch and allowed herself a few tears. She wasn't angry with Kyp, just disappointed that he'd turned back to the dark side. How was his turning supposed to balance the force?

Finally after a few long moments, she was able to regain herself as she heard R2's shrieks and whistles of surprise and alarm down below her.

Try as she might the young woman would never have been able to escape Hartel. Her inexperience in the abilities the force allows you to own and control were evident in her hasty run. But Hartel was with much compassion, she needed her space for a few moments before Hartel could sweep her away from this travesty. He feared this may happen. Padawans who form close relationships become the blunt end of the stick in these cases, something Hartel could never understand. 

After a few minutes passed Hartel had the force surrounding his body purely and in a dash he made it to the trees following the signature of Xae and with one Giant leap the Jedi Knight was sitting next to Xae in her tree.

"You have gone to great lengths I see to be at peace. You are not the first to ever run over these things. When one walks the dark path they tend to forget why they did so in the first place. Chances are your master did it for you Xae and if so he is not beyond redemption. You can save him, but you will need my help."

Hartel looked to her gaunt face and swept the hair out of her face so he could see straight into her soul.

"May I offer once more, to train you in the Jedi Arts miss Xae?"

The young woman merely looked at the Jedi Knight as he joined her among the boughs, her face once again a thin mask of stoicism, though the under currents of emotions could be seen by the careful observer. "Kyp Durron," she said quietly as she met his eyes fearlessly. "I know he's come back from the dark side before."

She took another calming breath as her emotions tried to get the better of her. "I've been facing the dark side most of my life, and it's taken the one person that helped me in that battle. I accept your help Lord Hartel."

Hartel smiled and unclipped something from his belt.

"You dropped this but I believe you will need it in the days ahead." 

The Jedi Knight handed over his single bladed Green lightsaber to Xae and placed it in the palm of her hands certifying that she was his to protect and teach.

"Rest up Xae. Tomorrow we begin our training."

Hartel slipped from the tree and in a matter of seconds he was down on the Forest floor, his helmet back on, dozing away.


End file.
